The Meghalaya High Court has directed the district administration to keep strict vigil on illegal encroachment of street space by vendors and penalise errant vehicle drivers in the city.
The division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh took up PILs filed by Philip Khrawbok Shati and Andrew Aibok Jyrwa said the administration has to generally ensure that there is no reduction of available road space by encroachment made by street vendors, by illegal parking and others.
The court reviewed the submissions made by the Urban Affairs Commissioner and Secretary and directed that all policies, plans and proposals contained in the report must be implemented on a war footing.
As per the report, a survey of street vendors in Shillong was carried out wherein 25 locations for street vending were identified across the city to accommodate 1400 vendors effective from February 7, 2025 in order to streamline vendor operations and ensure a smooth transition to the new vending areas.
The report also mentioned that a State Level Committee has been constituted to coordinate regulation of traffic and street movement in seven zones at Sardar, Lumdiengjri, Laitumkhrah, Madanrting, Rynjah, Mawlai and Laban traffic branches. The committee will collaborate with the local bodies and to get approved and demarcate parking and no parking zones.
The court observed that the decision to formulate the Shillong Parking Policy, 2025 was a “healthy move” wherein the administration proposed to acquire and launch a fleet of 35 modern, technologically advanced and “comfortable buses” that would reduce use of private transport on the city roads.
Furthermore, the report also mentioned the growth of the school bus project (STEMS) for school going children under the policy. It was submitted that with only one bus with 10 per cent occupancy in April 2023 there are now 29 buses with 100 percent occupancy in February, 2025.
“Undoubtedly, the successful implementation of this policy will reduce the usual traffic congestion during the time of start of school hours and closing of the school for the day,” the court remarked.
It was also submitted that the administration contemplates introduction of street parking infrastructure.
“We are confident that if this entire set of policies, plans and projects is implemented, it would go a long way to achieve the purposes of this PIL. Nevertheless, it is submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that only initial steps have been taken and that substantial steps are yet to be taken to implement the above policies,” the division bench said.
The court has directed the Urban Affairs Department to file an action taken report by May 6 before the next hearing of the PIL on May 8.
